New Home Construction

[afjess1989]

So we are in the process of getting a construction loan to build a house on some land my family owns. we already had it surveyed off and sub divided. Now we are looking for a builder. We found a builder based in VA that builds in st marys and their selling point is that they dont require a construction loan, they finance it with their own money and then we would apply for a regular home loan. Has anyone dealt with that sort of thing before? Also what are some recommendations for home builders in the Tri county area that will build on your own plot.

 

[glhs837]

I cant speak to builders, but I would have a relevant lawyer review any contract, especially with builder financing, I'm not sure what autonomy you might give up by going that route. and not a lawyer associated with anyone who has skin in the game like a realtor or the builder. If you are not really conversant with materials and standards, I would seek out an unbiased expert who can help you spot places where the builder might make assumptions in materials that you should consider upgrading right off the bat. "Builder grade" isn;t awesome

Can you select your own suppliers for some stuff like granite or quartz? Details of change orders, how late in any particular stage you can put those in and what charges you should incur by doing so. Walkthrough inspections and corrections of deficiencies. Nail pops in drywall, heck, how is the drywall attached? No Chinese drywall? Should you include an EV charging capability and structured wiring? Myself, I would make sure to have EV charging and Genset rough-ins at a minimum.

Easy to say "build me that", harder to make sure the goodness is more than skin deep.

 

[afjess1989]

I cant speak to builders, but I would have a relevant lawyer review any contract, especially with builder financing, I'm not sure what autonomy you might give up by going that route. and not a lawyer associated with anyone who has skin in the game like a realtor or the builder. If you are not really conversant with materials and standards, I would seek out an unbiased expert who can help you spot places where the builder might make assumptions in materials that you should consider upgrading right off the bat. "Builder grade" isn;t awesome

Can you select your own suppliers for some stuff like granite or quartz? Details of change orders, how late in any particular stage you can put those in and what charges you should incur by doing so. Walkthrough inspections and corrections of deficiencies. Nail pops in drywall, heck, how is the drywall attached? No Chinese drywall? Should you include an EV charging capability and structured wiring? Myself, I would make sure to have EV charging and Genset rough-ins at a minimum.

Easy to say "build me that", harder to make sure the goodness is more than skin deep.

This particular builder does offer a 2-10 warranty 10 years of structural coverage (footings and foundation, load-bearing walls, beams and girders, etc.), 2 years of systems coverage (electrical, plumbing, and mechanical), and 1 year of workmanship coverage (carpentry and finishes). They did mention that i can pick who i want to do certain things like my septic and well. Upgrading was also on the list. My family has been helpful with advice since they all built their homes but this is the first time any of us used an actual builder.